East Side club starts renovations Sketch of expansion of the Thomas H. Lutsey Unit of the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay at 1451 University Avenue. The Boys and Girls Club will have new facilities in September, but it's staying open next door By Ray Barrington News-Chronicle The small boy with the hard hat on turned to his buddy. "Cool! We can smash stuff!" he said. That's not normally one of the activities at the East Side Boys and Girls Club of Green Bay. But it was Thursday, as ceremonial work began on expanding the Thomas H. Lutsey building to serve many more young people. The $6.6 million project is the second phase of expansion for the Green Bay club after work was done last year on the West Side club on Oneida Street. It's needed, said Gunnar Scholler, president of the club's board of directors. The building at 1451 University Ave. was originally designed for half the number of children now using it. That's meant overcrowding and decreased participation. From 1994 to 2001, membership increased from 1,825 to 4,094 without any expansion in space. Or, to put it another way, the square feet per child went from 118.9 to 53. The two sites have an average daily attendance of between 365 and 450 kids. The club also sponsors after-school programs at 13 "at-risk" elementary and middle schools. The new facility will add 9,500 square feet of space. Fund drive chairman Tim Reilly said he hadn't planned to take the job. "But when I came over here and saw what the club was doing, I couldn't say no any more," he said. He told children representing the club members that he hoped they would take away from the ceremony the value of generosity and pass it on to kids in the future. Whether the kids heard that is uncertain, as they played with hard hats and finally got the chance to swing their hammers against drywall inside the building. They were joined by Mayor Jim Schmitt and several club officials. The building will be renovated, with a new entrance and new exterior look, as well as a new look inside to highlight different areas for the club's core programs: character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts and sports, fitness and recreation. More space will be provided for cooking and nutrition classes, performing arts classes, upgraded technology labs, study space and a separate area for teens. The East Side club is staying open during the construction, borrowing space across the street at Ss. Peter & Paul School. Performa Inc. of De Pere is the architect while the Selmer Company is general contractor.